Milk & White Chocolate Panna Cotta Recipe

Guest Author - Michelle Matile

Panna Cotta is a pudding like dessert that has a consistency of Jell-O. This dessert consists of cream, sugar and gelatin. Panna Cotta translates to cooked cream in Italian. This version includes both milk chocolate and white chocolate. Panna Cotta is delicious on its own. However, there are so many ways to enjoy this dessert. Berries or other fruit can act as a garnish. Caramel or chocolate sauce is an option to drizzle over.

1. In a small bowl add a packet of gelatin to 1/4 cup half and half and stir until moistened. Let the mixture stand for 5-10 minutes. Please note that this will be lumpy.
2. In a medium sized sauce pan combine the half and half, milk chocolate, and sugar and heat over medium heat.
3. Stir the cream occasionally until the chocolate has melted.
4. Remove the cream from heat and stir the half and half and the gelatin in. If it remains lumpy after stirring in, you may strain it into another bowl.
The directions are the same for the white chocolate panna cotta.
5. In a small bowl add a packet of gelatin to 1/4 cup half and half and stir until moistened. Let the mixture stand for 5-10 minutes. Please note that this will be lumpy.
6. In a medium sized sauce pan combine the half and half, white chocolate, and sugar and heat over medium heat.
7. Stir the cream occasionally until the chocolate has melted.
8. Remove the cream from heat and stir the half and half and gelatin in. If it remains lumpy after stirring in, strain it into another bowl.
9. This dessert can be divided into 6 or 8 wine glasses or ramekins. Fill the glasses with about 1/4 cup of chocolate cream and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.
10. Add the white chocolate cream by dividing it between all the glasses. You will need to whisk the white chocolate mixture to smooth before adding it to the glasses.
11. Refrigerate for a few more minutes (you will not need to refrigerate as long because it has already started to set).
12. Add the remaining chocolate after whisking to smooth out. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Another option that I have not tried is to freeze for 5 minutes in between each layer rather than refrigerating for 45 minutes.